DAY 1 – Arusha / Tarangire
Meet & greet at Arusha Airport upon arrival.
Optional : assistance for visas
Departure to Tarangire National Park for a first glimpse of the bush.
Lunch at Tarangire Sopa Lodge.
DAY 1 – TARANGIRE
Upon arrival, head to Tarangire National Park for a first glimpse of the bush.
This 2600 square km park, renowned for its endless savannah plains filled with Baobab & Acacia trees, boasts some of Tanzania’s best game: huge herds of elephants which can be seen mostly during the dry season, cats, herbivores but also rare species such as the Gerenuk, small Koudou, and Oryx.
Spend the afternoon exploring this vast wildlife sanctuary.
Lunch at Tarangire Sopa Lodge.
NIGHT 1 – Maweninga Camp
Perched on the top of a massive granitic rock, the camp has a privileged location within Tarangire national park.
All 16 tents are equipped with large & comfortable beds, a lovely terrace overlooking the park & the lakes on the horizon, and also include bathroom with hot shower and toilet.
The camp’s architecture is unique and perfectly integrated into the wilderness. Breathtaking views from the tents & from the dining & bar area.
DAY 2 – LAKE MANYARA NP
Morning departure to Manyara national park. Ernest Hemingway wrote it was “the loveliest [he] had seen in Africa”…
Although the smallest of all north Tanzanian National Parks, Manyara National Park offers an important variety of animals including Lions, Elephants, Giraffes, Buffalos… in a wonderful setting surrounded by the Rift Valley and the Manyara Lake with its thousands of birds.
Picnic lunch around midday underneath acacia trees. In the afternoon, head to Karatu area, end of the day at leisure.
NIGHT 2 & 7 – Bashay Rift Lodge
Located in the heart of coffee plantations, Bashay Rift Lodge is a small and exclusive property, ideally located near Karatu and 15 mn away from the Ngorongoro Crater park gate.
All 26 rooms offer a cosy and charming atmosphere with superb views over the Karatu highlands & the Great Rift Escarpment. “The Main” as we call it features a superb bar & lounge area as well as a lovely dining room. The guests can enjoy the terrace and use our on-site swimming pool and SPA.
DAY 3 – NGORONGORO CRATER
Early departure from your lodge after breakfast and head to the park gate.
Part of the Unesco World Heritage, this place is undoubtedly the most famous African sanctuary.
The crater is a unique place in the world, 20 km wide and home of hundreds of different species all protected by a 600m wall.
All the big African mammals can be found in the crater: Big cats, Elephants, Hippos and last but not least, Rhinos.
Spend a whole day exploring the caldera with picnic lunch break around the lake.
NIGHT 3 & 4 – Olduvai Camp
Close to the famous Olduvai Gorge (cradle of mankind), lies the world renowned Olduvai Camp.
Perfectly integrated into nature, Olduvai is a unique & Must-Stay-At property when on safari in Tanzania. 17 states of the “bush-art” en suite tents, superb bar & dining area.
Feel the “Safaris of the past” atmosphere, enjoy interacting & walking with the Masai, learn more about early men who once stood up in the Gorge…There’s so much to see & do around Olduvai !!!
DAY 4 – Ngorongoro Conservation Area
This day is the opportunity to learn more about the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. As opposed to traditional Parks, Ngorongoro area does not exclude human life, which is why Maasai villages can be found in this area. In fact, this vast expanse of 8 500km², man and wildlife live here in harmony for hundreds years. Allowed to remain on the land of their ancestors, the Massai perpetuate their traditional lifestyle of nomadic pastoralist.
The area has many places of interest:
* The special wildlife area
* The site of Olduvai and Museum
* Maasai villages, protected from any influence
* Geological curiosities (Nassera rocks, Shifting Sands or Olduvai Gorge)
The Great Migration
Every year, Serengeti ecosystem – spread over 25.000km², with the national park in the center-welcomes the great migration: about 3.000.000 mammals – mainly wildebeest, zebras but also Thomson and Grant gazelles.
From year to year, this amazing herd can take very different routes.
During the green season (January to April, when the rain make the large plains of South Serengeti and NCA turn green again), the great migration settles in the South – Ndutu and Olduvai areas.
When lands are green, animals are barely static. Indeed, storms are assimilated with new fresh grass and water and lead the great migration to constantly move.
In May and June, lands are getting dry very fast. Wildebeests are then gathering in huge columns (sometimes more than 40km long) and walk towards the “woodlands” in West and North Serengeti.
During the dry season (July to October), the great migration finds a shelter in the North: with more trees and water spots, Northern and West Serengeti as well as Maasaï Mara in Kenya are more welcoming.
With the first rains of November, wildebeests are going back to the plains.
DAYS 5 & 6 – SERENGETI
In the morning, head to Serengeti national park for two full days of game drive.
Spread over 14 000km² the park has a large variety of landscapes : savannah in the North, endless plains in the South, Kopje rocks in the East, hills and forest on the West. Different landscapes home to many different species. Predator population reaches its highest rate in Serengeti. But you can also observe buffaloes, zebras, giraffes, antelopes and several others.
These two days provide you an almost complete glimpse into the Serengeti. Picnic lunches or at camp
NIGHTS 5 & 6 – Ronjo Camp
Ronjo Camp is located in the heart of Serengeti NP and offers one of the park’s best campsites.
Our camp being semi-permanent and wildlife being all over, our guests definitely get a nice taste of adventure at Ronjo !
Even though not a permanent venue, all 16 tents are spacious, comfortable with en suite facilities.
Meals are served under a large mess tent & atmosphere, especially in the evening with our camp fire, is one of a kind…
DAY 7 – SERENGETI – REGION NGORONGORO
A full day of game viewing split between Serengeti and Ngorongoro plains. A nice drive among changing landscapes, punctuated with some encounters
Maybe this drive will give you the chance to watch some animals peacefully drinking or relaxing on the top of Kopjes.
If not animals, you may spot some red Maasaï blanket on the horizon ! In brief, a nice day to come with picnic lunch on the way to Karatu.
Dinner & Overnight at Bashay Rift Lodge
DAY 8
After breakfast, last game drive in Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Then head to Arusha. Lunch at Shanga River House.
In the afternoon, transfer to Arusha airport and assistance for boarding on regular flight.